Some Priddis residents are hoping to get a water pipeline built to serve the hamlet and surrounding area.
The idea was proposed by Doug Weston, who manages a large off-stream storage reservoir, where he collects water during flood periods.
It’s a project he began 22 years ago. Weston moved to the area in the 1970s and found the water situation was lacking, so he decided to develop a regional water system himself.
Now, he’s trying to interest area-residents in drawing water from his reservoir to their homes in the Priddis region, including the hamlet itself.
“At this point, we’ve been approached by many people up on Highway 22, people who don’t have water or people who have water that is a problem to them,” said Weston.
He said it could also tie into businesses or public buildings such as the community centre in Priddis, as well as providing a source of water for the fire department.
“It’s kind of a unique situation having a hamlet that close to town that doesn’t have a water system,” said Weston.
He said if they can get enough resident support and approval from MD of Foothills council, he suggested seeking provincial government funding to support the project. He pointed to a water pipeline from Turner Valley to Millarville which was funded largely by government grants.
So far, Weston said the response has been positive through the Priddis Water website.
“It’s exciting now, because there’s a lot of interest and people are understanding the value of good, potable, treated water,” said Weston.
The next steps include meeting with community associations before taking it forward to the MD council, he said.
MD of Foothills CAO Harry Riva-Cambrin said the municipality is not involved in the project at this time.
“The people out there would have to make some type of request to council, which certainly hasn’t happened at this time,” said Riva-Cambrin. “We’re not part of it.”
Ed Osborne, president of the Priddis Community Association, said he doesn’t have many concerns with the water quality and quantity at his home in Rancher’s Hill, where there are only 11 or 12 homes on the subdivision’s co-operatively run water system.
He said residents would be interested in tying into Weston’s system instead.
“We have to operate the system and also provide for any kind of significant breakdown, like well collapsing or water drying up, which requires us to have a reserve fund of fairly significant dollars,” said Osborne.
Part of the appeal for residents in the Rancher’s Hill area is the cost. Currently, each resident pays $100 per month for the maintenance and operation of the water treatment system, which is run by area volunteers.
He said it works out to an average of $35 per cubic metre, but Weston has indicated he’d sell water for $5 per cubic metre plus some minor charges for delivery.
Osborne said he thinks Weston’s proposal is worth looking into, and he’s advocating for a feasibility study to be undertaken on the project.
“I don’t know how many other water co-ops are interested in this, but if get it up to 500 households or so, it looks like it would be financially viable and possibly cheaper,” said Osborne. “But we need to have a feasibility study done so we know what we’re talking about and have all the costs on the table.”
He said the water system could be a godsend for the hamlet of Priddis, where businesses are forced to truck in water, which can be very costly. It could make the hamlet more attractive to prospective businesses, he said.
